Hassan Rouhani, a moderate Iranian politician and former Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, also known as the Diplomat Sheikh, launched his presidential campaign in March 2013.

Rouhani considers the existing problems in the field of economy and other sectors due to incorrect management by the incumbent administration.

He admitted with proper planning, production units can be activated and jobs can be created, but this needs stability because sometimes economic regulations of the country have changed 50 times in a single month.

[citation needed] About his view on nuclear program and its relationship with economical problems due to sanctions he said: "when a centrifuge is supposed to keep spinning while the entire country remains stagnant, meaning that we launch the single Natanz nuclear facility, but hundreds of our factories face problems, stop operating or work at a 20-percent capacity due to a lack of parts, raw materials and sanctions… that we do not approve of.

This campaign is being fueled and directed first and foremost by Israel, in order to divert international attention not only from its own clandestine and dangerous nuclear weapons program, but also from its destabilizing and inhuman policies and practices in Palestine and the Middle East.

But in order to move towards the resolution of Iran’s nuclear dossier, we need to build both domestic consensus and global convergence and understanding through dialogue.

The news agency announced that an anonymous source had told it that the reasoning of a possible disqualification was the disclosure of confidential information related to Iran's nuclear program during the televised debates.

Three days before the presidential election, Iranian moderates and reformists coalesced behind Hassan Rouhani; Including Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Mohammad Khatami and Molavi Abdul Hamid.

Aref withdrew on the advice of Mohammad Khatami so the electorate would all stand behind Rouhani, so there wouldn't be a split in the vote between the two and to greatly limit the chance of a conservative victory.